Student Spotlight: Christopher Barth

Most people go into a mild state of shock when an electrical appliance or machine
malfunctions, but Christopher Barth actually gets a jolt out of fixing them.

"You might have a photocopy machine that people say is dead," Barth explained. "But
I say that 95 percent of its components are still working. I see the fact that there
is only a very small glitch."

Barth, who is now working on his master's degree in electrical engineering at the
University of Illinois, completed an Associate in Applied Science degree in Integrated
Engineering Technology and his first two years of engineering coursework at College
of DuPage.

“COD helped me focus interests that I had from a young age, but which I was not certain
what to do with,” he explains. “When I was three or four, I had a box of old car parts
and components. For a long time, I did not really do anything with them, I just enjoyed
having them. Eventually I was able to repair some of the items I took apart - at 11
I repaired the family washing machine.”

Because of his interest in electricity, Barth enrolled in the Integrated Engineering
Technology program at college of DuPage. After his third semester, Barth was accepted
for the Students in Engineering and Technology at Packer (STEP) program with Packer
Engineering in Naperville. The STEP program exposes students to a broad range of engineering
disciplines and allows them to observe and frequently participate in a variety of
projects.

The focal point of Barth’s summer at Packer was an electromagnet design competition
which taught students about a system to extract iron from the surface of the moon.
Teams of interns built several different electro-magnets to pull iron from a simulated
lunar soil mixture. During the magnet design process, Barth found plans for a high-efficiency
magnet that uses both standard electromagnets and permanent magnets and conducted
a series of strength tests, comparing the performance of the high-efficiency design
against a conventional electromagnet.

At the University of Illinois, Barth worked on research with Professor Robert Pilawa
to develop a new algorithm for controlling power converters used to maximize the efficiency
of photovoltaic solar panels.

"We were specifically designing the algorithm to work effectively in small, low-cost
converters which manage the energy from individual solar panels or subsections of
a panel," he said. "Although the research results will hopefully be beneficial in
many applications, we tailored our demonstration system to a solar battery charging
application for use in the rural communities of underprivileged countries."

In summer 2012, Barth interned with Delphi in Kokomo, Ind., and worked in the power
electronics division on electromagnetic compatibility testing. He continued his association
with Pilawa on his senior thesis by working on a control strategy to maximize the
power produced by solar panels. This is called maximum power point tracking and is
required for most serious solar energy applications.

He earned his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering with honors in December
2012 and currently is finishing his master's.

"During my undergraduate studies I learned how to apply the theory of the approach,
and during my first semester of graduate school I demonstrated the technique in hardware,"
he said. "I received one of three prize paper awards at the IEEE Workshop on Control
and Modeling for Power Electronics for the paper I coauthored with Professor Pilawa,
'Implementation of Digital Dithering Ripple Correlation Control for Photovoltaic Maximum
Power Point Tracking.' It was selected from almost 70 papers.

"Grad school in engineering at Illinois is challenging but rewarding if you know you
are interested in the field. During my first semester, I was a TA for a class on electric
machines and will continue TA work this fall in a power electronics lab course. Helping
students learn is rewarding and provides an opportunity to benefit others in the midst
of busy engineering semesters that would otherwise be focused almost entirely on my
own classes and research. Life is a lot more meaningful when we are investing in the
people around us."

Barth also understands the value of internships.

"In today’s competitive world, an internship is a must for college students. An internship
gives you practical, hands-on experience -- in other words, the common sense that
you really can’t achieve in a classroom,” said Barth, who cautioned that students
on internships cannot afford to kick back. “You have to come in with the idea of doing
whatever you can to further the project.”

One of Barth's aspirations is operating his own manufacturing business in a rural
setting. Rather than shipping more manufacturing jobs overseas, he would like to use
automated manufacturing processes to give motivated American workers an opportunity
to compete with foreign manufacturing and still make a comfortable living.

Barth is very grateful for the opportunities and training he received while at COD.

“I was a little apprehensive about transferring into one of the highest-ranked electrical
engineering programs in the country," he said. "COD provided a great foundation and
solid academic track record from which to begin my work at Illinois. Most importantly,
it gave wings to the fascination I have had with electricity since I was young.

"I would encourage any potential students who are considering beginning at COD to
get started with classes that interest you and then make the most of every internship
opportunity you can find. You never know where you will end up."

College of DuPage Addison Center

College of DuPage Addison Center is located in the Technology Center of DuPage (TCD) on the east side of Swift Road, north of North Avenue and south of Army Trail Road. Swift Road is approximately 3/4 mile west of Route 53 or I-355.

College of DuPage Lisle location

The Lisle location is home to the College of DuPage Foundation, Center of Entrepreneurship and WorkNet Force. College of DuPage Lisle is located in the One Corporate Lakes building at the corner of Forbes and Cabot drives, just north of Warrenville Road.

College of DuPage Naperville Center

College of DuPage Naperville Center is located on the south side of Rickert Drive. Rickert Drive is accessed by turning north from 75th Street two miles west of Washington Street. From Route 59, travel east on 75th Street to Rickert Drive and turn north.

College of DuPage Westmont Center

College of DuPage Westmont Center is located on the west side of Pasquinelli Drive. Pasquinelli Drive is accessed by turning north from Ogden Avenue one block west of Route 83. The center entrance is immediately north of the bank.